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French and Indian War (1754 – 1763)
The French and British had boundary disputes over their empires in North America. Led by young George Washington, a force of British colonists and Native Americans killed a French diplomat, which would start the war. -
Treaty of Paris Ends the French-Indian War
The Treaty of Paris would end the war between Great Britain and the French, who would give up its claims in Canada, give Louisiana to Spain, and lose all their territories in mainland North America. -
Stamp Act (Oct 7, 1765 – Oct 25, 1765)
After the French and Indian War had ended, the British government were in great amounts of debt. To help raise money, they decided to impose direct taxes on all papers and official documents in the American colonies. Colonists reacted by boycotting British goods and rioting and attacking tax collectors. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre occurred on King Street in Boston, Massachusetts. This was a riot between one British soldier and a group of American colonists, who called themselves the Patriots. The mob harassed British Private Hugh White, who responded by shooting at the group and killed a boy. This event was used as propaganda by placing the British in a negative light. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a political protest (taxation without representation) in which more than 92,000 pounds of tea owned by the British East India Company were dumped from ships by American patriots, who were disguised in Native American apparel. This fueled more tension between the British government and the colonists. -
Lexington and Concord
In order to seize weapons and ammunition, British troops marched from Boston to Concord, Massachusetts, where the The Shot Round the World would mark the start of the American Revolutionary War at the Old North Bridge. Soon, the British soldiers were forced to march back to Boston while American colonists fired at them all the way. This event proved to the British and their King that unjust behavior will not be tolerated in America. -
United States Declares Independence
The Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Continental Congress, would declare the 13 colonies of America independent from British rule. Now an independent nation, the colonists could have an official alliance with the Government of France, who would help them in the war against Great Britain. The French were still bitter of their loss during the French and Indian War, so they decided that by helping the colonists win the Revolutionary War, their enemy would be defeated and hurt. -
Articles of Confederation Ratified
After declaring their independence from Great Britain, the American colonies would agree on the Articles of Confederation which would establish the functions of national government of the U.S. The Articles of Confederation stated that Congress could not tax, regulate trade, or draft soldiers. Adding to that, there was no national court system. -
Constitutional Convention (May 25, 1787 – September 17, 1787)
The Constitutional Convention took place in the Pennsylvania State House. The purpose of this convention was to revise the Articles of Confederation and decide how the United States would be governed. The final result of the Constitutional Convention was the United States Constitution, which was adopted on September 17, 1787. -
George Washington (April 30, 1789 – March 3, 1797)
George Washington was an American soldier, statesmen, and founding father who would be inaugurated as the president of the United States on April 30, 1789. -
Bill of Rights Ratified
The Bill of Rights, written by James Madison, would consist of the first 10 amendments which are still present today. Unlike the Federalists, Anti-federalists believed that a Bill of Rights was necessary in the U.S constitution to ensure individual liberties.
